Why you should consider a career in STEM

What is STEM

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. Due to the growth of technology, there is a greater demand for people to learn about and work within STEM industries.

School curriculums are increasingly focusing on bring STEM to the forefront of education due to its influence on so many vocations and aspects of life.

STEM careers can encompass a huge variety of job roles, spreading across almost every business and sector. For example, an organisation may sell pots and pans, however, they have a finance manager and outsource their production to a manufacturing company.

Examples of STEM careers

Engineer

Computer Programmer

Accountant

Electrician

Teacher

IT consultant

Designer

Architect

Production worker

Nurse/Doctor

Lab Technician

Web Developer

What are the biggest issues relating to STEM?

Understaffing

Skills shortages in STEM are costing UK businesses £1.5bn. This is one of the driving factors in increasing STEM-focused subjects within school curriculums.

Skills shortages could be a big limitation for the growth of the economy. A report by Tech North

Underrepresentation of women

Women make up just 23% of the STEM workforce in the UK. The issue likely goes back to a lack of girls in schools being encouraged to study and therefore pursue STEM subjects. There are many initiatives in our area to encourage women into STEM roles, including our innovation project and initiatives like Geek Girls.

How to figure out if a STEM career is for you

STEM industries are thriving in Tyne & Wear with organisations such as the Centre for Life and Discovery Museum being pillars of culture in Newcastle.

Many STEM-focused businesses, such as Nisan, Proctor & Gamble, Newcastle University, Sage, Ubisoft, Technip, and Banks Group, are based in the North East and therefore opportunities are ample.

Our STEM innovation project, based in North Tyneside, focuses on introducing our participants to STEM jobs by trying different volunteering opportunities. Our employer engagement team have connections with several businesses in the area and have organised work placements within these.

If your qualifications or education don’t align with a career, don’t be deterred. Through training and volunteering, not only can you figure out if STEM is a good path for you, but help you access the field and retrain.

Here’s the inspiring story of Keri who retrained from Ballerina to Biomedical Engineer: